


Brightest Rainbow

by vanjie_love



Series: One Shots [18]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Angst, Baby, Depression, F/F, Fluff, Love, Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:33:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanjie_love/pseuds/vanjie_love
Summary: After every storm, comes a rainbow.
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Series: One Shots [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1487747
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Brightest Rainbow

**Author's Note:**

> there's some triggering things in this:  
> miscarriage, depression, angst.  
> Read with caution.  
> Thank you to GoldenBHytes for all of your help with this.

Vanessa always wanted a baby, and she wanted to experience every minute of being pregnant. She wanted to carry it, she wanted to be the one who brought it into the world. This would have been a great plan if she wasn’t a lesbian.

Then she met Brooke. Amazing, perfect Brooke who was a dancer with a dream. Sweet Brooke, who was now convinced that her sole purpose in life was to love Vanessa, and she did it very well. 

Brooke’s views on the way her life would go changed when she met Vanessa. She never thought she’d fall in love, but she did. The day that Nina introduced them was one of the best days of her life. She still gets butterflies when she thinks about it. She never thought she would get married, but when she started daydreaming about Vanessa in a white dress and a pretty ring and adding Brooke’s last name to her’s, Brooke decided that was all she wanted.

She never thought she would have children, but when Vanessa proposed the idea, and said she wanted to carry the baby, Brooke wanted nothing else but a little piece of Vanessa running around their house, filling it with giggles.Beautiful Brooke who wanted a baby but did not want to put the body she worked so hard for in jeopardy. Brooke felt like that made her selfish, even though Vanessa encouraged her it wasn’t. When Vanessa offered to carry, she jumped at the chance to accept, and if it meant getting to see the woman she loves growing their baby, well, that’s just an added bonus.

Things didn’t go as planned, though. Their first round of insemination didn’t take. The second round didn’t either. Vanessa thought that the third time was a charm, though, when she saw the two pink lines pop up. 

She was ecstatic. She was glowing. She was- nauseous. She was tired. But this was what she wanted, and she wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Her favorite part was figuring out how to tell Brooke, she settled on soft grey t-shirts. Brooke’s said  _ Mommy  _ and Vanessa’s said  _ Mama. _ She wrapped Brooke’s up with a bow and she put her own on and zipped up her jacket. 

“Hey B,” Vanessa called from the living room. 

Brooke had just gotten home from work and she was in the bedroom changing. Vanessa was so excited, she couldn’t wait much longer to tell her.

“B, come here when you get a sec please.”

_ Oh shit,  _ Brooke thought to herself,  _ I’m in trouble. _

“You ain’t in trouble, Miss Thing, just get in here.” Vanessa smirked, and Brooke shook her head.

The other girl just always knew what she was thinking, they were so in tune with each other.

“What’s up, V?” Brooke walked into the living room in her comfy clothes which consisted of Vanessa’s favorite pair of grey sweats and a crop t-shirt.

“I got a present for you.” Vanessa gestures to the wrapped box on the table. 

“Ness, you didn’t have to get me anything?”

“Yes, I did, shush and open it.” Vanessa was jittery.

“What’s the occasion though?” Brooke tried to think to see if maybe she forgot something like an anniversary.

“Will you just open the present, Mary?” Vanessa said, exasperated.

Brooke gave her a weird look but opened the box anyways. When she saw what was inside, a bunch of emotions flooded her. She had to do a double take. 

"What's it say, Brookie?"

"Well, either you want to try role-playing or-" 

She's cut off mid-sentence when Vanessa gives her shoulder a playful shove.

"Or you're….."

Vanessa just nods. Brooke drops the box on the couch and scoops Vanessa up into her arms, spinning her around.

"Brookie, no spinning please, ‘nless you wanna see my lunch."

She sets Vanessa back down on her feet and pulls her in for a kiss.

“This is really happening?” she asks softly.

Vanessa nods and unzips her jacket, “put your shirt on, baby, let's take a picture.”

Brooke does as she’s told and she stands next to Vanessa as she gets her phone out. Vanessa snaps a picture of the two of them on what is supposed to be one of the happiest moments of their relationship.

  
  
  


~*~

  
  


Vanessa immediately goes to the computer room and prints the picture out so they can put it somewhere. Their plan is to frame it, and also to send it to their families. 

“I’ll just set it here for now,” Vanessa says, placing the picture on the mantel, “I’ll get a frame for it the next time we go shopping!”

Vanessa sits down on the couch, exhausted from that little bit of excitement.

"So we are going to be mommies?" Brooke's voice was soft, loving. 

Vanessa nodded. 

"It worked this time and we are going to be mommies."

A few weeks pass and Vanessa schedules her first ultrasound. She's almost seven weeks when her and Brooke pull up to the clinic. Brooke has been the loving, doting wife and they're both so excited. What they didn't expect was the day they were supposed to hear their baby's heartbeat, the day that was supposed to be one of the happiest, takes a turn and becomes the worst. 

"Well, Vanessa," Dr. Edwards comes into the room and sits down next to the table, "how are you feeling?" 

"Like I have an energy-sucking angel in my uterus." Vanessa deadpans.

The doctor stifles a chuckle and switches on the ultrasound.

"Well let's take a look at the little nugget shall we?" She smiles and Vanessa lies back.

The gel is cool, causing goosebumps to raise on Vanessa's belly. The doc moves the wand around, presses a little here, wiggles a little there, and Vanessa waits. Brooke holds her hand and strokes her hair.

"How have you  _ really  _ been feeling Vanessa? Any cramping? Spotting?"

"Yeah, actually. I read that was normal though. It ain't been too bad."

The doctor nods and continues to move the wand around, and after another minute, she sits it back in the holder.

"Well, doc? How's our baby?"

"Vanessa, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

_ No.  _

The doctor turns the screen towards Vanessa, "that is your baby," Vanessa lets out a premature breath of relief, "but I'm afraid that there is no heartbeat."

Vanessa's heart leapt into her throat, white noise filled her ears, and tears blurred her eyes. 

_ No. This is impossible.  _

Pain filled her body. Not physical, no, emotional. Her body had failed her. The one thing she needed from it, it wasn't giving her. Her body had failed her and she had failed Brooke. 

_ Brooke. _

Brooke Lynn took a moment to understand what the doctor was saying. 

"O-our baby..is- gone?" She managed, cradling Vanessa's head to her chest.

Dr. Edwards nodded, "I'm so sorry." 

The doctor's eyes were sad, she knew how bad they wanted this. 

After the doctor explained what the next steps were, she left them to collect themselves before they left. 

"Take as long as you need."

Brooke wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but she's sure that was nothing compared to how Vanessa felt right now. 

Sweet Vanessa. Brooke knew she was hurting and she wanted to help. 

"Nessa," Brooke said softly, standing in front of her wife, "baby, let's get you dressed and home so you can rest ok?" Brooke had one hand in Vanessa's and the other on her cheek. 

Vanessa nods faintly. She hears Brooke, but it's like she's a thousand miles away. 

The ride home is a blur. Vanessa just stared out the window. 

_ This can't be happening. Maybe it's not real, maybe I'm having a nightmare. But if it's not a nightmare, what have I done to deserve this? What have I done for my body to fail me like this? _

Brooke's hand on hers pulls Vanessa back to the present. A light squeeze grounded her and she noticed that they were home. 

Vanessa went inside and grabbed the photo from  _ that day  _ off of the mantel and ripped it up and tossed it into the unlit fireplace. She went to the closets and grabbed the shirts. She then brought them downstairs and threw them into the garbage. 

"Vanessa, baby," Brooke said softly, "I'm.. you're throwing those away?"

Vanessa just nodded. 

"Nessa, you don't.. you don't have to throw them away."

"I don't wanna look at them."

"We will put them away, we will put them in the hallway storage. That way, when we want to try again-"

Vanessa's face turned red, "try again? Brooke, I don't want to  _ try again _ !" She sneered. 

Brooke took a step back, she wanted to kick herself. She should be more sensitive to Vanessa right now. 

"I'm done trying, Brooke Lynn, I'm done. I can't go through this again." Tears welled in Vanessa's eyes. She didn't look at Brooke, she couldn't. 

Her body had failed her, and she had failed Brooke. What kind of woman was she? 

"Nessa-"

"I'm not doing it Brooke." Vanessa said with more salt in her voice than she intended. 

"Nessa, I wasn't going to- I didn't mean- baby I know." Brooke crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her wife who immediately started sobbing into her chest, "I know, Ness, you're so strong, so brave, we will get through this."

She ran her fingers through the smaller girls hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Go get some rest, sweetheart." Brooke urged. 

Vanessa nodded and headed towards the bedroom. Brooke grabbed the shirts from the trash and hid them in a cupboard downstairs because she just had a feeling that Vanessa might eventually change her mind. But if she didn’t, it was alright. 

Vanessa grieved. The loss of the baby took its toll on her. A week had passed since she received the news. She's had many crying spells, and some long chats with her mother. She hated that her mom lived so far away. She wanted her near, but phone calls had to do. 

“Mama,” Vanessa cried.

“I know, love, I know. You can cry, just let it out.”

She did. 

“How’s Brooke?” her mom asked.

Vanessa froze. She didn’t really know. She hadn’t asked.

“I think she’s okay…. Mama, I’m horrible, I don’t even know.” Vanessa cried even harder. 

“Nessa, baby, it’s okay.”

Her mother soothed her and calmed her down, but now Vanessa was worried about how she was being towards her wife. 

_ I need to do better.  _

Her hormones were all over the place, she knew they would be. She was happy, sad, laughing, and crying all within the hours of the day. 

Brooke was an angel, and Vanessa loved her so much. She would ask how Vanessa was doing without pressing her. She was the best thing to ever happen to her. 

Sixth months passed. Vanessa had good days and bad. The worst of it was when it came time for her would-be due date. She asked Brooke to leave her be, and she did. Vanessa was still healing. 

Brooke felt helpless. All she wanted to do was comfort Vanessa, especially on that day, but Vanessa just wanted to be alone. Brooke felt selfish. She didn’t know what pain Vanessa was experiencing. Brooke had her own pain. She was hurting because her wife was. She was hurting because they lost their little one, and the worst part was that she still wanted a baby.

Vanessa had thought about whether she had the strength to try to go through the process again. She wasn't sure, not until the following spring, almost a full year after their loss, when their friend Nina had her sweet baby girl. 

Vanessa and Brooke visited Nina in the hospital, and Vanessa had the hardest time putting little Lilly down. She held her close and bounced her around the room while Brooke sat and talked with the new mother.

"How is she doing?" Nina asked Brooke. 

"Better. Much better. She's herself again. I sometimes can still hear her cry in the bathroom, but it's not as often."

Nina nods, "good. She's so strong, Brooke. You both are."

"And you too, Miss Thing, that little angel is beautiful."

As if on cue, Lilly lets out a loud cry, signalling it's time for lunch. Vanessa hands the baby to her mom and she and Brooke say their goodbyes.

In the elevator heading down to the lobby, Brooke and Vanessa were all alone. Vanessa danced on the balls of her feet, anxiety filling her chest. 

"Ness? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I- nothing." Vanessa shook her head. 

"Nessa, I'm sorry if it was difficult to come see the baby." 

"That ain't it, B. It ain’t difficult at all. Actually, it made me realize something."

Brooke tried not to let hope flutter in her chest, but she knew where she wanted this conversation to go.

"B, I think I… I think I want to try again." Vanessa stared at her feet. 

She often thought about how she yelled at Brooke, saying that she didn't want to try again. She felt awful, but Brooke was so sweet. 

"You do?" Brooke asked. 

"I think so. I'd like to discuss it anyways."

They reach their floor and the elevator dings and the door opens. Brooke grabs their hands as they exit, excitement settling in her chest. 

  
  


~*~

"Where  _ are  _ they!?" Vanessa asks herself, she's searched all of the cupboards, "I know Brooke took them outta the trash, where the fuck are they?"

She knows they're here, and she finds them under the stairs in the hall closet. 

"Perfect!"

Shs runs back upstairs to get ready for her wife to come home. Nausea stirs in the pit of her stomach.

_ Shit.  _ She did not miss that. 

Brooke came home early that day, much to Vanessa's surprise.

"Brookie, you weren't due home for another hour!" Vanessa mock pouts. 

"I know but I'm tired.  _ Someone  _ kept me up half the night." 

Vanessa blushes.  _ Hormones. _

"Nessa, you found the shirts!" Brooke squealed, "wait, you found the shirts. Which means you were looking for the shirts. Which means- you took a test?!"

Vanessa nods the whole way through Brooke’s realization, the whole thing seeming very familiar.

"Oh my God, Ness," Brooke kisses her wife, "I'm excited, is that okay?"

"Of course, Brookie, I'm excited too."

Brooke insisted they put their shirts on and take another picture. Vanessa felt like it was taboo, but she’d do anything right now to make her wife smile. So she did. 

Two weeks later, Vanessa nervously went to her first OB appointment, Brooke by her side. The last time they were here was dark, today will be light.

"Vanessa, it's so good to see you back!" The doctor smiled. 

"Hello, Dr. Edwards, let's hope for good news this time." Vanessa tried to keep her voice light and positive but she was very scared. 

Brooke had her though, Brooke was there for her. 

"Let's see what we got."

Dr. Edwards turns the machine on and places the wand on Vanessa's abdomen. Something happened this time, something that didn't happen last time: a loud, fast thumping sound filled the room. Vanessa cried, and so did Brooke. 

The ride home was different this time, as it should be. They had gotten word that their baby was healthy with a strong heartbeat and Vanessa couldn’t be happier. But something was weighing on her heart, and she needed to talk to Brooke about it.

“Brookie, I owe you an apology.” Vanessa says out of nowhere. 

“What do you mean, V?”

“I was selfish. I didn’t think about what you were feeling when- last year.”

Vanessa still had a hard time talking about it, but she was getting there.

Brooke pulled into their driveway and put the car in park.

“Vanessa, baby, you’re the one who had the worst of it.”

“It was your baby too, and I acted like it wasn’t. I shoulda let you grieve too.”

“I did.”

“But I know I was actin' like I was the only one goin’ through it. I know it was hard on you too. I shoulda been there for you, B, and I’m sorry.” Tears welled in Vanessa’s eyes as she spoke. 

_ Damn these hormones are really getting to her.  _

Brooke hid her smile the best she could, her dramatic wife. 

“It’s okay, I’m doing just fine, V, we both are. I love you.” She kissed Vanessa’s forehead and turned the car off. 

Time passes too quickly but too slow at the same time. Vanessa’s belly grew with each week, and Brooke loved to watch it. She knew the baby would look like Vanessa, but she prayed that it had her personality too. She would be happy with either a boy or a girl, but a little girl, a little miniature Vanessa, ran around in her dreams.

“I want to be surprised, Brooke!”

“Awe, c’mon, V! We need to know so we can decorate.”

“We can still decorate, miss thing, but I wanna be surprised!”

Brooke pouts and Vanessa thinks it’s adorable, but she isn’t going to budge. She really doesn’t want to know.

Vanessa has a lot of anxiety throughout her pregnancy. She still feared losing it, but so far everything was healthy. In all honesty, she felt like if she knew what it was, it would make it harder if this ended like it did last time, and she just didn’t want to go there. Plus, she always liked the element of surprise.

“We need to pick out names, though!” Brooke protested.

“We  _ can _ pick out names, we can pick a boy name and a girl name, or a gender neutral name.”

_ A gender neutral name,  _ Brooke thinks. 

“That would be cute.” She admits, rolling her eyes at Vanessa’s smug smirk.

~*~

After much discussion, the couple decides on Emerson Riley Mateo-Hytes for their baby. ( _ “We can call her Emmie for short if she’s a girl!” _ ) Brooke paints the nursery grey with a soft yellow accent wall. They bought wooden letters that spelled  _ EMERSON  _ to hang above the crib. It was perfect.

Vanessa is close to five months when she feels something that makes her whole body freeze. A twitching sensation in her belly; not painful exactly, but strange. Panic sets in, she wasn’t this far along last time, could this be what it feels like to lose the baby at this stage?

Luckily she was out and about and was able to go to her OB’s office. 

“Vanessa!” the receptionist, Asia, exclaims, “you’re not on the schedule today, is everything okay?”

Vanessa shakes her head and tears well in her eyes, “something is wrong, Asia, I need to see the doctor.”

Asia nods and gets Vanessa back to a room quickly. Lucky for Vanessa, the office wasn’t that busy, and Dr. Edwards didn’t have any patient’s at the moment.

Moments later, Dr. Edwards walks in with the nurse Monique in tow.

“What’s going on, Vanessa?” Dr. Edwards asks, eyes full of concern, turning on the ultrasound machine.

“Doc, somethin’ ain’t right.” 

Vanessa feels the twitch again and it’s a little stronger this time.

_ What is happening?  _

_ Am I losing the baby? _ _  
_ _ Is my body trying to go into labor? _

_ Can I go into labor this early? _

_ Baby is too little, not ready to come out yet. _

Millions of questions float around in Vanessa’s head. Dr.Edwards called her name and she was pulled back to earth. 

“Vanessa, do you hear that?” 

Vanessa stopped for a minute and listened. 

“Your baby’s heart is beating, it’s okay.”

Vanessa cried out with relief. 

_ Baby is okay.  _

She felt the twitch gain. 

“Vanessa, did you feel that?”

“Yes, yes! That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, doc!”

Dr. Edwards’ face softened from a focused furrowed brow to a soft smile, “Vanessa, that’s the baby moving.”

“Shut up!” Vanessa’s jaw dropped and Dr. Edwards laughed.

“I know it’s scary at first, but I’m glad you came here.” Dr. Edwards printed out a picture from the ultrasound machine and gave it to Vanessa. 

“There, for your wife.”

Vanessa almost rushes home. She couldn’t believe how stupid she felt, but at the same time, it was proof that the baby was fine. The baby was fine and moving. Vanessa was so happy.

~*~

  
  


"You've gotta be  _ fucking  _ kidding me!" Vanessa groaned, "what do you mean I'm only dilated to 2cm?!"

"I- Um, well-," Dr. Edwards started. 

"Rhetorical." Vanessa rolled her eyes. 

"Vanessa, you are 38 weeks. We could discuss induction."

"No. No, I want to have this baby the natural way."

"Yeah until you scream at me and I make them give you drugs." Brooke deadpanned. 

"Brookie, you wouldn't." Vanessa pouts. 

"Of course I wouldn't, love."

Vanessa rubs each side of her belly, "come out, will you?"

Baby responds in nothing but kicks, and Vanessa feels discouraged. 

"All you can do is rest and get ready for baby, Vanessa. You're good to go, we will see you next week."

Vanessa slowly made her way off the table and got dressed with her wife's help, and they left for home. 

"Walking will speed things up, you know?" Brooke says.

They're laying in bed. Vanessa is only comfortable on her side, her back and hips doing nothing but aching. 

"B, my hips feel like hell."

Brooke frowns and then leans forward, pressing a kiss to her wifes lips. The kiss depends and with it comes an urgency, until Vanessa pulls back. 

"Brooke," she warns. 

Brooke lays her hand on Vanessa's hip, "there's other things that help speed things along too, Ness."

She wants to move her hand lower but Vanessa stops her. 

"Brooke Lynn Mateo-Hytes, I swear to god if you go any lower I will-  _ fuck!" _

Brooke freezes, "Ness?"

"Ow ow ow ow!" Vanessa clutches her belly, a tightening, uncomfortable sensation ripples across it causing the baby to squirm. 

But after a few seconds, it's gone quicker than it started.

"Nessa, was that-"

"I think so." Vanessa pants, "fuck that hurt!"

Brooke frowned and reached over to brush the hair out of Vanessa's face. 

"Looks like we have a long night ahead of us don't we?"

"I hope not," Vanessa whines.

The night does, indeed, drag by though, and by morning Vanessa's contractions have gotten to ten minutes apart. They stay like that until around 8am and Vanessa rates her pain at a 7. She's walking circles in the hallways when her water pops. 

Every contraction gets a little tighter, which makes the baby squirm, which makes Vanessa nauseous.

"B," Vanessa groans, "B, we gotta go."

"Where are your bags baby?"

Vanessa points to the hall closet and Brooke gets the bags. 

"Alright, let's go have a baby."

~*~

"Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop," Vanessa cried, her face buried in Brooke's chest.

Brooke ran her fingers through Vanessa's hair, "I wish I could, baby, it'll be over soon."

Vanessa grips Brookes upper arms and almost screams as another contraction rolls in right after the previous one.

The nurse comes into the room and Vanessa is in so much pain that she can barely focus on her.

“Vanessa,” the nurse starts, “I need you to lie down.” 

Vanessa doesn’t listen right away but as soon as the contraction is over the nurse tells her again. She listens this time and she lies back on the bed. 

“Vanessa, I need to put this oxygen mask on you.”

“What’s happening?” Brooke asks, the nurse seems kind of frantic and it’s causing her nerves to bounce all over the place.

“Baby’s heart rate dropped a little with that last contraction.”

Vanessa lets out a loud, scared cry. Brooke kneels down in Vanessa’s line of vision and strokes her hair. 

“It’s okay, baby, it’s okay.”   
“Vanessa, it’s completely normal, and you just had two contractions back to back, so it’s expected. Just breathe. We got you, mama.”

Vanessa nods and focuses on her breathing.

“Since I’m in here, I’m going to go ahead and check to see how close we are.”

Vanessa nods again and lets the nurse do her thing.

“Good news,” the nurse says, “10 cm. Do you feel like you can push?”

“I think so,” she says. She’s so tired, but she’s ready for this to be over.

The nurse nods and leaves the room to gather the team. 

“I’m so proud of you, Nessa, we’re almost there. You can do it, baby.” Brooke whispers, “my brave girl, so strong. You got this, Nessa.”

Another contraction comes along and Vanessa can’t stop it, her body tells her she needs to push, and she listens. 

“Trying to start this party without us?” Dr. Edwards smiles as she walks in.

Vanessa doesn’t answer, she’s concentrating. Dr. Edwards waits until it’s over and then has the team get Vanessa into the position she needs. 

Vanessa’s body takes over. All she can do is let it. There are so many voices floating around her.

“One more time, Vanessa.” 

_ I’m so tired. _

“Baby’s head is right there.”

_ My hips are being ripped apart. _

“My, they have some dark hair.”

_ Please make it stop. _

“Nessa, you got this, baby, I’m so proud of you.”

_ Brookie. _

Brooke’s hand has gone numb by now but she just doesn’t care, not when she knows it’s nothing compared to what Vanessa is feeling.

“Almost there, Vanessa.”

_ Why did I let myself do this naturally? _

“Heads out. Good job, Vanessa, that was the worst of it.”

_ Says who? _

“Good job, Nessa.” Brooke kissed her forehead.

“One more, c’mon Vanessa.”

_ You’ve said that ten times now.  _

But it really was only one more push and baby was out. Vanessa relaxed back and let out a cry of relief as they laid the baby on her belly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as they cleared the baby's airway and the little thing let out its first cries. The baby was crying, Vanessa was crying, and Brooke was crying.

“It’s a girl.” Dr. Edwards announced, “congrats, mommies.”

They laid the baby on Vanessa’s chest and covered her with the hospital gown.

“Welcome, little Emmie,” Brooke whispered, “Nessa, she looks like you.” Brooke kissed her wife, “I love you, you did so good.”

~*~

Vanessa could not stop looking at her little girl, she drew her features with the tip of her index finger, her small lips, her button nose, her soft and plump cheeks, her rounded chin, her eyes closed. She was just perfect, she was the miracle of life, the rainbow that appears after the storm and fills everything with magic and light where there was only darkness. I silently pray that she and Brooke did a good job raising her and that they grant their daughter a life full of health and love. She closed her eyes, her whole being completely at peace with her little ray of light between her arms.

Last year was so dark. Vanessa was so heartbroken at the loss of their baby. But now, everything just felt complete. There’s a reason a baby after a loss is called a rainbow baby. They light up your life after a storm.

She never thought it would be possible to love another human so much, but this little baby is the love of her life.

_ Well, one of them.  _ She corrects herself.

She’s never felt so happy.

“She’s so beautiful.” Brooke whispers softly looking at them spellbound, pulling Vanessa from her thoughts.

“She really is.” Vanessa agrees, with a huge smile on her lips, looking at her sleeping miracle and then her wife.

“I’m so proud of you, Nessa, you did so good!” Brooke beams, “so, so proud. You’re an honest rockstar.”

Vanessa’s heart softens. 

“I couldn’t have done it without you, B, you was such a big help.”

“Nah, I didn’t do anything. You did it all on your own baby. I just held your hand.”

Vanessa reached out her hand and Brooke got up from the couch to take it, sitting on the bed next to her girls.

“I was so tired, and I wanted to give up, but you encouraged me.”

“Because I knew you had that strength in you.” Brooke kisses her wife.

She had her wife, she had her beautiful baby girl, and they were both safe and healthy. Life was good.

Vanessa and Baby Emerson were being discharged from the hospital the following day. Vanessa was tired and sore. There wasn’t a spot on her body that didn’t hurt. 

“Well, Vanessa, are you ready to go home?” The nurse asked, entering the room. 

Vanessa nods, “so ready. One sec.” 

She pulls the soft grey t-shirts from her bag and throws Brooke hers. 

“Really, Ness?” Brooke laughed, “we are going to be  _ that  _ family?”

Vanessa just nods and pulls her own shirt on. She then reaches into the diaper bag and grabs a onesie that matches the material of their t-shirts with the word  _ baby  _ scrawled neatly across it. She dresses Emerson in the onesie and puts her in the carrier. 

“Let’s go.” she smiles.

“Wait!” Brooke stops her and turns to the nurse, “will you take our picture?” 

The nurse nods and takes Brooke’s phone. They hold the carrier up so you can see Emerson and they smile as the nurse snaps the picture. 

“There you go.” 

Brooke looks at the picture. 

“Perfect, it’ll look so good next to the other one,” she says to Vanessa, “let’s go home.”

Vanessa nods in agreement, and the family that came in as a family of two left as a family of three. 


End file.
